IS 2720 ( Part 18 ) : 1992 ( Reaffirmed 2002 ) Indian Standard METHODS OF TEST FOR SOILS PART 18 DETERMINATION ( OF FIELD MOISTURE EQUIVALENT First Revision ) UDC 624.131.377*620*176 @ BIS 1992 BUREAU MANAK OF BHAVAN, INDIAN 9 BAHADUR STANDARDS SHAH 110002 ZAFAR MARG NEW DELHI September 1992 ' - h Price Group 1 Soils and Soil Engineering Sectional Committee, CED 23 FOREWORD This Indian Standard was adopted by the Bureau of Indian by the Soils and Soil Engineering Sectional Committee Engineering Division Council. Standards, after the draft finalized had been approved by the Civil With a view to establishing uniform procedures ~for the determination of different characteristics of soils and also for facilitating a comparative study of the results, an Indian Standard Methods of test for Soils ( IS 2720 ) has been published in 41 parts. This part deals with the method of test for determination of field moisture equivalent of soils, which gives an indication of the percentage moisture at which a drop of water placed on a smooth surface of soil pat will not be immediately absorbed but will spread out over the surface and give it a shining appearance. In fine-grained soils, the test assists in the determination of the moisture content at which air in the interstices between particles becomes sealed in by the moisture films around individual particles so that the capillary forces can no longer draw moisture into the soil. In coarse-grained soils, the test indicates that all voids in the material are filled with water. A field moisture equivalent equal to or greater than the centrifuge equivalent indicates the presence of organic material in deterimental~quantities. This standard was first plubished in 1964. the amendment has been incorporated units. In this first revision apart from general updation, and all quantities/dimensions have been given in SI For the purpose of deciding whether a particular requirement of this standard is complied with, the fina value, observed or calculated, expressing the result of a test or analysis, shall be rounded off in accordance with IS 2 : 1960 `Rules for rounding off numerical values ( revised )`. The number of significant places retained in the rounded off value should be the same as that of the specified value in this standard. IS 2720(Part18): 1992 Indian Standard METHODS OF TEST FOR SOILS PART 18 DETERMINATION ( OF FIELD MOISTURE EQUIVALENT First Revision ) 4.8Sieves 4.75 mm IS Sieves, 2-mm IS Sieves and 4% micron IS Sieves [see IS 460 ( Part I ) : 1985 1. 5 PREPARATION OF SAMPLE 1 SCOPE This standard ( Part 18 ) lays down a method for determining the field moisture equivalent of soils. 2 REFERENCES The Indian Standard listed below are necessary adjuncts to the standard: Title 460 Specification for test sieves: (Part 1 ) : 1985 Part 1 Wire cloth test sieves ( second revision ) 1433 : 1965 Specification ~for beam scales 3 TERMINOLOGY Field Moisture Equivalant, FME The minimun water content expressed as a percentage of the weight of the oven-dried soil, at which a drop of water placed on a smoothed surface of the soil will not immediately be absorbed by the soil but will spread out over the surface and give it a shiny appearance. 4 APPARATUS 4.1 Evaporating Dish - a porcelain rating dish about 12 cm in diameter. evapoIS No. 5.1 The soil sample as received from the field shall be exposed to air at room temperature until dried thorougly. The aggregations shall then be thoroughly broken up in a mortar with a rubber-covered pestle or using a mortar and pestle made of soft wood. A representative sample of the amount required to perform the the desired test shall then be selected by the use of a sampler. 5.2 The portion of the air-dried sample selected for the purpose of tests shall be weighed and the mass recorded as the mass of the total test sample uncorrected for hygroscopic moisture. The test sam_ple shall be separated by sieving with a 2-mm IS Sieve. That fraction retained on the 2-mm IS Sieve shatl be ground in a mortar with a rubber-covered pestle until the aggregations of soil particles are broken up into the separate grains. The ground soil shall then be separated into two fractions by sieving with a 2-mm IS Sieve. The remaining portion of the material passing the 2-mm IS Sieve shall then be separated into two parts by means of a 425 micron IS Sieve. The fraction retained on the 425 micron IS Sieve The fraction passing 425 shall be discarded. micron IS Sieve shall be used for the test. 5.3 Soil Specimen A specimen thoroughly weighing about 30 g from the mixed portion of the material passing 425 micron IS Sieve shall be taken for the test. 4.2 Spatula - a flexible spatula having a blade about 8 cm in length and 2 cm in width. 4.3 Dropper - a pipette, burette device for adding water dropwise. or similar containers, such as 4.4 Containers - suitable matched watch glasses which will prevent loss of moisture during weighing. 4.5 Balance - a balance ( see IS 1433 : 196.5). 4.6 Pestle and Mortar controlled oven 4.7 Oven - thermostatically with interior of non-corroding ~material to maintain the temperature between 105 and 110°C sensitive to 01 g 6 PROCEDURE Place dish. small after soil the fair-dried specimen in an evaporating Add distilled water to the specimen in amounts and mix the specimen thoroughly each addition of water. When the wetted forms into balls under manipulation IS 2720 ( Part 18 ) : 1992 smooth the sample with a light stroke of the spatula and place a drop of water on the smoothed surface. If the drop of water disappears in 30 seconds, mix a few drops of water with the sample, and repeat the procedure until the drop of water placed on the smoothed surface does not disappear in 30 seconds but spreads over the smoothed surface leaving a shiny appearance ( see Note ). Then remove a small portion of the soil on which the last drop of water was placed and keep in a suitable container previously weighted ( M1 ). Determine the mass of the container and wet soil ( M, ). Oven-dry the soil sample to constant mass at 105 to 110°C and record it ( MS ). case of some sandy soils, the shiny appearance may not be apparent. In such a case press the finger or spatula on the soil. When the finger or spatula is removed slowly, a film of moisture will raise-slightly with it, if the FME has NOTE -In been reached. where M,= -Mass of container M 2 = FITS of container M 9 = Mass of container soil in g. 8 REPORT 8.1 the test results below: 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. Mass Mass Mass ( M, Mass Field shall be tabulated as given in g. with and set soil in g, oven-dried of container of container of container ), in g of moisture moisture ( Ml ), in g with set soi! ( M, ), in g and oven-dried sample present, in g equivalent 7 CALCULATION The Field Moisture Equivalent be calculated as follows: FME - M, = M, M3YM,-x ( FME ) shall Remarks: 100 8.2 The reported Field Moisture to two significant Equivalent figures. shall be 2 Standard Mark The use of the Standard Mark is governed by the provisions of the Bureau o~ln&~~ Siundurds Act, 2986 and the Rules and Regulations made thereunder. 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